David McCallen Takes on Chief Strategy Officer Role at Omnicom Media Asia Pacific

Omnicom Media (OM), an Omnicom connected capability, has appointed David McCallen as Chief Strategy Officer, Asia Pacific, effective immediately.

Based in Singapore, McCallen will be responsible for developing strategy for clients across the region, supporting the localisation of global strategies across APAC and strengthening strategic teams. He will report to Tony Harradine, CEO, OM Asia Pacific.

More Than Two Decades of Experience

McCallen brings more than 20 years of experience across APAC, Oceania and Europe, with a career spanning agency and client-side roles across customer experience, creative and media.

He previously served as Asia Pacific Chief Strategy Officer at OMD for four years. Before that, he led strategy at OMD New Zealand for five years.

During his tenure as OMD Asia Pacific’s Chief Strategy Officer, the agency network rose from fifth to first in RECMA’s rankings. Under his leadership, OMD was also named APAC Media Network of the Year at Campaign Asia’s Agency of the Year Awards for two consecutive years.

The network additionally won APAC Digital Innovation Network of the Year in 2025.

Driving Strategic Excellence Across APAC

Commenting on the appointment, Tony Harradine, CEO, OM Asia Pacific, said, “David’s appointment reflects our commitment to strategic excellence across the region. His proven ability to elevate strategic thinking and drive transformational outcomes, as demonstrated by OMD’s remarkable rise within APAC, will be instrumental in shaping the future of our business.”

Harradine added that McCallen brings the strategic rigour, creative insight and commercial acumen required to help clients navigate an increasingly complex landscape and identify competitive opportunities.

McCallen on His New Role

McCallen said the appointment was an opportunity to rethink what great strategy should look like in an increasingly complex industry.

He highlighted APAC’s growing importance as a source of growth, innovation and influence for the global industry, while pointing to the depth of talent across the region.

“For me, the exciting part is bringing that talent together, building something genuinely different and proving what this region is capable of,” McCallen said.

In his new position, McCallen will focus on bringing together strategic talent across APAC, strengthening OM’s strategic capabilities and supporting clients as they navigate increasingly complex business and media environments.